Thursday, May 10, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
New Mexico FIESTA Project: LGBT Family weekend in Las Cruces 4/28-4/29
Sounds like a good use of a weekend.New Mexico FIESTA Project: LGBT Family weekend in Las Cruces 4/28-4/29
Friday, March 16, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Repubs Oppose Troops In Court
US House Republicans may intervene as soon as next week against litigation that aims to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act on the grounds that it unfairly prohibit gay troops from obtaining benefits for their same-sex spouses.
http://ontheroadtoequality.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/us-house-republicans-will-oppose-benefits-for-gay-troops-in-court/
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Number of Antigay Hate Groups Rises 60 Percent | News | The Advocate
Number of Antigay Hate Groups Rises 60 Percent | News | The Advocate
This is not a trend we like to see. We definitely still have work to do.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Reflections on Creating Change
Awesome, reinvigorating, educational, social, enlightening, grounding, connecting and appreciative are just some of the words that come to mind when I think of the 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. This year’s conference in Baltimore was my third Creating Change. It has become one of the two must do conferences each year.
One of the striking things about attending Creating Change is the number of young people who attend. Of the nearly 3000 of us in attendance, 25% or more were youth. These youth ranged from high school students wanting to learn how to make their schools safer and their communities better to college students who are starting a community center in their rural community. These future leaders are an inspiration with their creativity, passion, energy and unbridled enthusiasm.
Creating Change always puts things in perspective by showcasing the sheer size and diversity of our movement. Prominent roles are always given to people of color, Native
Americans, youth and gender diverse individuals. The talents of our movement are showcased by over 250 volunteer presenters sharing history, lessons learned, strategies, tactics, research, tools, methods and programs to advance progress on equality and improving the quality of LGBTQ lives. It is easy to become isolated in the silos of the niche we work in but these several days in Baltimore quickly remind you that while our approaches may differ we are all working for the same end, better lives for our community.
The Task Force does an excellent job of fostering a culture of sharing. Creating change is about developing leaders who effectively and efficiently collaborate with other leaders to effect positive change in their communities. Creating Change is about creating partnerships, like New Mexico GLBTQ Centers and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE USA) and learning from experts in various segments of the movement so we don’t waste time reinventing the wheel. Creating Change is the largest capacity building opportunity the GLBTQ community has and it saves lives by allowing us to move things forward faster than we might otherwise here at home.
Creating Change is also a lot of fun! Food Network celebrities baring custom 
cake from America’s “Ace of Cakes” (Mary Alice, Charm City Cakes) to film screenings to youth and 50+ dances to more receptions than you can keep track of there is no reason to get bored.
Throw in cheer moms going to dinner in the hotel restaurant in their PJs, and it gets even more hilarious.
I’ve been to conferences which were massive wastes of time, money and energy. Creating Change is a massive opportunity. A massive opportunity to be awesome, reinvigorated, educated, enlightened, grounded, connected, appreciative and fired up. It is such a massive opportunity that one person cannot glean all the nuggets of wisdom. We need a Creating Change Team to go to Atlanta, learn and come back to New Mexico and teach.
A closing shot….. of the cake!
SAVE THE DATE: I hope to see you next year at the 25th Creating Change in Atlanta, January 23–27, 2013. A quarter of a century in the making, we won't want to miss this one!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Baltimore ..... Here We Come
We are heading off to Baltimore for the Task Force's annual Creating Change Conference this week. Look for updates, commentary and images from the inside beginning with out arrival on Wednesday evening.
The official Creating Change Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/CreatingChange?sk=info
The official Creating Change Website http://www.creatingchange.org/
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Centers Organization To Present At Creating Change
New Mexico GLBTQ Centers will host a Caucus, Saturday, January 28, 6:30
PM – 7:30 PM at the 24th National
Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. The conference is in Baltimore,
Maryland at the Hilton Baltimore, January 25–29, 2012.
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| More Information |
Advancing LGBTQ
Issues and Services in Small Communities
This caucus will explore ways of creating community, building a movement
and providing services in small, rural states and communities. States and
communities with smaller populations face unique issues when working to provide
services to the LGBTQ population or advancing LGBTQ issues in the political
arena. Bring your questions, ideas, examples of materials and resources to
share as we create a lively dialogue and discussion. The objective of this
caucus is for participants to learn from their peers ways to make their work in
small states, rural communities and small towns or cities more effective. An
additional objective is to indentify gaps in resources and begin creating an
action plan to fill those gaps. Smaller communities often feel separated from
the larger LGBTQ movement, this caucus attempts to put needed focus on small
community issues.
New Mexico GLBTQ Centers Director Named To National Board
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| More Information |
New Mexico GLBTQ (NM Centers) Centers Executive Director, David Stocum, was elected to the Board of Directors of CenterLink, the Community of LGBT Centers on December 14, 2011. CenterLink is the national organization for GLBTQ community centers.
Terry Stone,
Executive Director of CenterLink wrote, “Congratulations on your election to
the CenterLink Board of Directors. I am thrilled that you will be working
with us.”
Serving over 200
LGBT community centers across the country in 46 states and the District of
Columbia, as well as centers in Canada, Israel, Mexico, China and Peru,
CenterLink assists newly forming community centers and helps strengthen
existing LGBT centers, through networking opportunities for center leaders,
peer-based technical assistance and training and a variety of capacity building
services.
NM Centers is the
only organization in New Mexico whose sole purpose is to establish and operate
gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer community centers and related
programs. NM Centers currently operates
the Las Cruces GLBTQ Center and plans to open a center in Gallup during 2012.
NM Centers Establishes SAGE New Mexico
New Mexico GLBTQ Centers (NM Centers) has created a senior services program and applied to become an affiliate of SAGE USA.
SAGE (Service and Advocacy for GLBTQ Elders) is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. SAGE has pioneered programs and services for the aging LGBT community, provided technical assistance and training to expand opportunities for LGBT older people across the country, and provided a national voice on LGBT aging issues. In 2005, SAGE became the first official LGBT delegate at the White House Conference on Aging. In 2010, SAGE was awarded a three-year $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration on Aging to seed the creation of the nation's only National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.
“Our relationship with SAGE will provide us with resources, technical assistance and training to create a robust senior’s program,” states David Stocum, Executive Director of NM Centers. An advisory committee of seniors, advocates and service providers help develop the proposal to SAGE USA and will help guide SAGE New Mexico.
Mission Statement
SAGE New Mexico actively promotes a community culture of acceptance and inclusion related to LGBT aging. In partnership with constituents and allies, SAGE New Mexico works to achieve opportunities for LGBT seniors to reduce their isolation, connect with their communities, and access needed services. SAGE New Mexico advocates for LGBT Seniors rights, a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and positive images of LGBT life in later years.
SAGE New Mexico will formally begin operations upon final approve of the affiliation, expected early in 2012.
SAGE (Service and Advocacy for GLBTQ Elders) is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. SAGE has pioneered programs and services for the aging LGBT community, provided technical assistance and training to expand opportunities for LGBT older people across the country, and provided a national voice on LGBT aging issues. In 2005, SAGE became the first official LGBT delegate at the White House Conference on Aging. In 2010, SAGE was awarded a three-year $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration on Aging to seed the creation of the nation's only National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.
“Our relationship with SAGE will provide us with resources, technical assistance and training to create a robust senior’s program,” states David Stocum, Executive Director of NM Centers. An advisory committee of seniors, advocates and service providers help develop the proposal to SAGE USA and will help guide SAGE New Mexico.
Mission Statement
SAGE New Mexico actively promotes a community culture of acceptance and inclusion related to LGBT aging. In partnership with constituents and allies, SAGE New Mexico works to achieve opportunities for LGBT seniors to reduce their isolation, connect with their communities, and access needed services. SAGE New Mexico advocates for LGBT Seniors rights, a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and positive images of LGBT life in later years.
SAGE New Mexico will formally begin operations upon final approve of the affiliation, expected early in 2012.
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